Rendering apparatus.



PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. G. S. WHEELWRIGHT.

RENDERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 17. 1904.

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' 0. s. WHEBLWRIGHT.

RENDERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1904.

I $SHBETBSEEET 2.

G. S. WHEELWRIGHT.

RENDERING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 17.1904.

PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

Patented February 2%, 1905.

at? l platen.

CHARLES S. VVHEELVVRIGHT, OF BRISTOL, RHODE lSl JANI), ASSIGN O1. TO AMERICAN EXTRACTOR COMPANY, A OQRPORATION OF il'lAlNlC.

HENDEHlING; APPAF-li t'lUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,560, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed June 17, 1904. Serial No. 212,974.

To all whom, it 711/114 concur/t.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. firmer.- WRIGHT, of Bristol, in the State of Rhode is land, have invented a new and useful improve- 5 ment in Rendering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The process conducted by the new apparatus is mainly the hot-water process conducted by apparatus described in my applications Serial No. 179,382, liled October3l, 1903, and Serial No. 209,553, tiled May 24, 1904; but provision is made, as will hereinafter fully appear, for using again and again the same Water both for cooking the garbage or ofial and re- 5 moving the melted grease and for washing the tankage.

The invention consists in the use, with several digesters and water and oil receivers adapted to separate melted, grease from gar- 2 bage or ollal by the hot-water process and water-extractors adapted to separate water used in the digestcrs from the tankage, of a hotwater tank and a torce-pum p both common to said digesters and eXtractors,the said hot-water tank being a vessel adapted to resist steampressure, having its top above the top of the digesters and having a conical-shaped bottom just above the level of the tanlmge-exit at the bottom oi the digesters and also having a pipe 3 communication with said digesters near its top and the top of said digesters and a pipe communication from its cone-shaped bottom with said tankage-exit below the valve therein between said d igester and its said water-extractor and the force-pump being provided with suction and discharge pipes and adapted, by means of said suction and discharge pipes, to take water flowing from said digesters and said common hot-water tank into said water- 4 extractor and return it to any of said digesters or to said hot-water tank.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction.

in the drawings hereto annexed and forum 4 5 iug a part of this specification, 1 represents the hot-water tank and l oreepump as used with but a duplicate set of digesters, receivers, and extractors; but it will be evident that Within my invention the same tank and pump might be used with a-greator number of digesters, receivers, and extractors, and it will be observed that where the apparatus is duplicated the same letter is used to designate a similar part in either apparatus, except as will be obvious. 5 5

Figure iis a side elevation oi an apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the extractor. Fig. l: is a cross-section ol the same further enlarged. Figs. 5 and (3 are details.

A is one of the dig-esters. digester.

B B are the two water and grease receivers.

U C are two water-extractors, one being re- 6 5 quired for each digester.

l) is the hotwater tank common to both digesters, and N is the lorce-pump, also common to both digesters.

B is a stand-pipe opening from the top ol 7 the digester and extending within the receiver to near the top thereol and having in its own top a charcoal lilter B. The staud-pipe ll is the operative leg oi a trap. since water and oilpassingupward through the staml-pipe and filter fall, over into the receiver, in which they are thus trapped. At the bottom of the standpipe B, or in a prolongation thereoi, there is a valve operated by a hamlewheehthrough which communication betwein'i the digester and the $0 stand-pipe and receiver may be opened or closed. This valve, or rather the hand-wheel by which it is operated, is marked V.

The designating-letter of valves in this application is applied imliilerently to the valve 5 or to the shell within which it is operateil or to the wheel by which it is operated.

B is a cover to the receiver.

B B are posts upon which the receiver is supported on the top of the digester.

P is a pipe through which melted grease may be drawn oil at different heights through valves n o" n" from the receiver.

P is a water-pipe n'ovided with valve V, through which water may be drawn oil or blown oii from beneath melted grease in the receiver into a pipe l, whose ollice will be hereinafter described. 'lh is pipe P has a valve A is the other V The corresponding pipe and valve belonging to the receiver of digester A" are marked P and V. The receiver B is furnished with a thermometer 7) and a pressuregage 7) and also with a water and grease gage 7/ P is a pipe by which water may be blown off from the top of the digester into the said pipe P as will presently more fully appear. lt has a valve V5 The digester A has a similar pipe P and valve V The digester A is formed in sections, as shown. The upper sections are dome-shaped, as shown.

A is a suitable entrance-hole near the top of the digester for the admission of the garbage or ofl'al.

A is a strainer provided with large hanging teats or blades such as are described in my Patent No. 709,836, dated September 23, 1902. It lies across the digester just above the entrance-hole A A is a properly-closed manhole through which the strainer A may be placed in position or taken out to be cleaned.

The lower section of the digester A is coneshaped, as shown. It is surrounded by a steam feed-pipe P, which is fed by main steampipe P, valved at V, and by branches furnishes the steam to the digester for cooking through valves o w o &c., bosses a a (a being cast on the cylinder and properly bored for the reception of the said branch entrancepipes. The two circular pipes PP, surrounding, respectively, the lower cones of the two digesters A A, are connected by a pipe P, having at either end a valve V V. \Vith pipe P connects the above-mentioned pipe P extending between the two digesters A A from the top of the system. It has a checkvalve V near its connection with pipe P By manipulating the valves V V in the abovementioned pipes P and P together with valve V in pipe P hot water or steam in either digester may be directed from the top of one digester to the bottom of the other. The top of the pipe P communicates with the thermometer b and pressure-gage 7) by an extension P, valved at valve V", as shown. The digester has a tankage-exit through a large pipe P furnished with a large valve V.

E is the shell or cylinder of the kind of water-extractor C which 1 use and prefer to use in my combination, although any steamtight water-extractor in which water separating from the tankage may be made to feed a force-pump will come within my claims to invention. The particular water-extractor here described forms the subject-matter of my said application Serial No. 209,553, filed May 24, 1904. Water is separated from the tankage in said water-extractor and pumped either to the digester in which it was first used or another digester or to the common hot-water tank D. It will be observed that the object of this invention is the preservation of this water-that it may be used again in its heated condition in the digester from which it came or in some other digester of the system or in an extractor without passing through either digester. The cylinder E has an entrance-hole at E, with which the large pipe P leading from the digester A and forming the tankage-exit, connects. It is provided with lugs e e, by which it is supported on standards F. It is provided with a screw Gr, closely fitting its inner periphcry, and is suitably keyed to a shaft G, having bearings in the movable tailpiece E of the cylinder and in a standard F at its extreme farther end. The cylinder E is provided with an extension E beyond the farther end of the screw G and with a second extension E" beyond the first, the said second extension being, provided with an exit (for the tankage from which the water has been largely removed) and with a head E. The

extensions E and E may be considered a continuation of the cylinder E, and tankage received by the screw G and carried along through the cylinder by said screw and accompanying devices, as will be explained, would pack in said compartments E and E" against said head E; but said head is provided with a valve K, which intervenes between said head and the end of the screw and by means of a spline and feather revolves with the screw. The valve K has a further movement to and from the end of the screw G, which will next be described. In the said head of the cylinder E is fitted a packing-box I, provided with a gland I, the ofiice of which is to furnish a suitable packing or bearing of a hollow shaft J, moved on and along the shaft Ur by a hand-wheel J, a nut J rigidly connected with said hand-wheel, and a screwthread on said shaft G. The said movable hollow shaft J is rigidly connected with the valve K, which is provided with teeth K K, as shown. The valve K, whatever may be its position longitudinally in extension Efl constantly revolves with the shaft G, and thereby with the help of the teeth K K breaks up the material forced forward by the screw G and directs it toward the outlet E". K has a seat at L in the rim of the extension of the cylinder E and the peculiar shape of the face of the valve K directs material sent forward by the screw G and packed or packing in extensions E and 15* downward out of the outlet at at any position of the valve as removed any distance from its seat by manipulating hand-wheel J.

The shaft Gr carries a large bevel-gear G into which takes a small bevel -gear (not shown) carried upon the countershaft of the driving apparatus.

M M are two suction-boxes similar to those used in Fourdrinier papermachines. N N are suction pipes or outlets for said boxes. and O O are perforated plates set into and The valve forming a part of the cylinder E, through which water liows into said suction-boxes or is drawn into said boxes by means of the said force-pump N acting through said suctionpipes N N. To the pump N is connected a discharge-pipe l1 provided with valves and branches, as shown, and by manipulating the said valves (hereinafter designated and described) the same water which has been sucked from the cylinder E by the suction-boxes lvl M may be returned in a heated condition to the top of the digester A, through which it had previously passed, or to the top of the hot-water tank 1).

The suction-pipes N N are provided with valves V and V", as shown, and the dischargepipe it has near its top a valve V.

As before stated, I) is the hot-water tank, being a long steam-tight iron tank conveniently situated with reference to the digestcrs and extractors of the system. its top extends a considerable distance above the tops of the digesters, and its bottom, which is cone-shaped, is somewhat above the tankage-exit pipes P of the digesters, with which it communicates by pipes P and P branching from the bottom of its cone. The pipes P and P have each a check-valve V and V and ordinary cut-off valves V and V. The hot-water tank I) is provided with a strainer 1) near the top above all inlets to said tank. It has also on its top a stand-pipo D which within the limit of the action of the force-pump N is provided. with a pipe P, valved at V, leading to a closed tank T, which may be connected with an ammoniasaving machine. (Not shown.) The stand-pipe i) has a water-gage Z) to indicate the condition of the water.

The discharge-pipe P of pump N extends to near the top of the digesters and hot-water tank, connecting directly with the latter, as shown, and through branches P and P with the two dig-esters. in the arrangement of two digesters shown these pipes are provided with valves V V, by the manipulation of which and valve V" water may be pumped into the hot-water tank or into either of the digesters.

The main oliice of the hot-water tank will now be described. This tank is supposed to have received a large supply of hot water, which has been mostly blown into it from the surplus water used in the digester for cooking the garbage and ties ting oil the grease, the valves V and V" in the pipes leading from the bottom of the tank having remained closed. The cooking having been accomplished, the operator closes the valve V between the digcster A and the receiver B and shuts off live steam from the digester by closing valve V in main steam-pipe P H e now by opening valve V in pipe P, valve V in pipe P and valve V in pipe P (closii'ig valve V in pipe P and valve V. in pipe P") permits steam and water to be blown off from the (.ligester A, in which the cooking has been completed, into digester A, which is charged with a fresh supply of garbage ready for cooking, until the pressure between the two digesters is equalized, when valve V in pipe P is closed. Valve V in pipe P and val veV in pipeParenowo pened, opening a passage from digester A to the hotwatcr tank I), and all further pressure remaining in the digester in which the cooking has been completed is blown off into the hot-water tank. Digester A having been relieved of its pressure, the operator opens valve V in pipe P at the bottom of the receiver and blows down the pressure in the receiver without draining oii any grease to a point where he may open the large connecting-valve V between the digester and receiver, so as to relieve all pressure in the digester without disturbing the grease. He is now prepared to draw the solid matter from the bottom of the digester. He first goes to the water-extractor and closes the valve K upon its seat. He then opens valve V in the pipe P leading from the hot-water tank to the tankage-exit P of digester A, so as to feed hot water through the extractor-cylinder to the suctionpump N. Valve V in the branch discharge-pipe P leading into the side of the digester, remaining open, (valve V being closed,) valves V V are opened, and the pump Nis started and hot Water is delivered into the digester until it is indicated by the water-glass I), attached to the receiver. After a few minutes power is started on the water-extractor and then the plug-valve K is drawn back in the discharge end of the extractor, allowing solid tankage to pass out, the suction-pump drawing out the water and discharging it back into the digester. A portion of the water passes off with the solid matter out of the extractor, and owing to the displacement of the solid matter the return-water will not keep up the supply or head, (so as to permit the flow of accumulating grease in the digester to be delivered into the receiver.) Accoriilingly the operator from time to time allows hot water from the hot-water tank to flow into the ex tractor by opening valve V in pipe leading from the said tank to the discharge-pipe P of the digester in such quantities as to keep upthe flow from the digester to the receiver, as indicated by the water-glass. \Vhen the digester has been freed from solid matter, the operator shuts the valve V in the branch discharge-pipe of the pump leading into the digester and opens the valve V in the pipe leading into the hot-water tank, and draws from the extractor G into the hot-water tank, leaving water enough for a cushion in the di gcster for the next charge.

.lt will have been observed that the apparatus thus far described is steam-tight and that during the passage through it of the garbage or offal and of water employed for the purposes stated no opportunity is al'l:'orde 'l for by a lever 02.".

the escape of foul odors. outlets shown, one a valved chimney on the top of the stand-pipe D (the valve in the chimney is not shown) and the other the outlet to the extractor. \Vith the latter may be connected a drying apparatus and a similar chimney, both said chimneys connecting with any suitable gas and vapor condenser.

Although the suction-boxes M M are not the subject of claim herein, being claimed in my said application Serial No. 209,553, it is thought well to describe the method of their attachment to the cylinder E. This is shown at Figs. 3 and 4, where M, as before, is one of the suction-boxes, and O is a perforated plate set into the cylinder E. M is one of several bars to support or hold up the perforated plate 0, the said bars being cast with the box MI. The box M is hinged to the cylinder E (see Fig. 6) by means of two lugs e 6*, cast on the cylinder, a fork m m, cast upon the box M so as to fit inside of said lugs e a". and a bolt m, passing through the said fork and lugs and also through an eccentric a, which fits between the lugs e e" and is swung \Vhen the box is set free at the other end, as will now be described, and the eccentric n is loosened by swinging back the lever 11. the box swings back on the bolt m, carrying with it the supporting-bars M. The oflice of the eccentric n is to tighten the box M in its working position. The locking apparatus at the other end of the suction-box (see Fig. 5) consists of two lugs 6 e castupon the cylinder E, a swivel-pin a, pivoted by a bolt n to the saidlugs c and embraced by forked arms 01391 which are cast upon the box M and are held in the position embracing said swivel-pin by a nut a, working on a screw-thread on the end of said swivel-pin and operated by a handle 11..

The oflice of the screw G, as has perhaps already appeared, is to carry forward in the cylinder, or through the cylinder and extensions thereof, the more solid parts of the contents of the cylinder; but this the screw som etimes fails to do, owing to the lubricant nature of such material or substance. The greasy mass is apt to turn with the screw withoutbeingmoved forward. Thisdifiiculty is in part remedied by the frictional resistance imparted to the mass by the above-mentioned suction-boxes M M, a pull or suction being exerted upon the mass in a direction contrary to force exerted by the screw.

Another device for imparting frictional resistance to the slippery material held in the thread of the screw consists of certain movable pieces of metal which 1 term vibrating fins R R, whose movements into and out of the mass are controlled by the screw acting upon their edges automatically. These fins are very numerous and are placed in pairs about the screw, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) so that a separate fin works in each interval between There are but two two screw-threads. They are made of soft metal and have their peripheries cam-shaped, as shown, so as to follow with an Lip-anddown or in-and-out vibrating motion the convolutions of the screw, the points and heels of the fins dipping into the lubricant slippery mass forced forward by the screw between the threads and rising therefrom successively one fin after another, so that the material between the screw-threads is struck by the fins in various positions. Theyare so secured to the cylinder that they and the mechanisms by which they are attached may be readily removed. One form of these fins. with accompanying parts, is shown in detail at Fig. l, where R is the fin pivoted upon axis R, as shown. E is the cylinder. R R are long guides letinto the cylinder, as shown, for two fins, and held in place by screw-bolts R R", secured by nuts R" R. A long cap R covers the said two guides R R and the space in which the fin works, as shown, being held in place by a lever R", forked at q, where it is pivoted on a pivot-pin 1 held in place by nuts g 9 The other end of lever R is forked at (f to embrace a swivel-pin R pivoted on pivot q" and held in place in the fork (1 of lever R by a nut R working on a screw-thread on the end of swivel-pin R and provided with a hand lever R. The pivot-pin q has bearings in shoulders R and the pivot q has hearings in shoulders R, the said shoulders R and R being ears or lugs cast on the guides R R The said fins are not the subject of claim herein, being claimed in my said application Serial No. 209,553.

1 claim- 1. The combination with several cookingdigesters and water and grease receivers adapted to separate melted grease from garbage or offal by the hot-water process, and waterex tractors adapted to separate water used in the digesters from the tankage, of a hot-water tank and a force-pump, each common to said digesters and extractors, the said hot-water tank being a vessel placed alongside of said digesters and adapted to resist steam-pressure, having its top above the top of the digesters and having a conical-shaped bottom above the level of the valved tankage-exit at the bottom of the digesters, and also having valved-pipe communication between the tops of said digesters and the top of said hot-water tank and a pipe communication from said conicalshaped bottom with said tankage-exits below the valve therein between said digesters and water-extractors, and the said force-pump being provided with suction and discharge pipes and adapted by means of said suction and discharge pipes to take water flowing from said digesters and said common hot-water tank into said water-extractors and return it to any of said digesters or to said hot-water tank, substantially as described.

2. The combination of several cooking-di- IIi gesters and Water and grease receivers ada t ed to separate melted grease-train garbage or ofl'al by the hot-water process, and Water-extractors adapted to separate water used in the digesters from the tankagin of a hot-Water tank and a :lorce-pump, the said hot-water tank being a vessel placed alongside of said digesters and adapted to resist steam-pressure, hav in g a conical-shaped bottom above the level of the valved tankag'c-exits at the bottom of the digesters, and also having a pipe communication from said eonical-sha1')ed bottom with said tankage-exits below the valve therein between each digester and its said water-extractor, and the said force-pump being provided with suction and discharge pipes and adapted by means of said suction and discharge pipes to take water flowing from said digesters and said common hotwater tank into said water-extractor and return it to any of said digesters or to said hot-water tank, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a digester adapted to cook garbage or ofi'al by the hot-water proc ess, a trapped receiver adapted to receive the 'melted grease floated by the hot water used in the said process, and a water -extractor adapted to separate water from the tankag'e after the grease is heated ofl' from said garbag-e or ollal, of a hot-water tank and forcepinnp, the said force-pump being provided with suction and discharge pipes and adapted by said suction and discharge pipes to take water flowing from said dig'ester and said hotwater tank and return it to the top of said digester or the top of the hot-water tank, and the said hot-water tank being provided with a valved-phae connection between the bottom thereof and the valved tankage-oxit of the digester leading to said water-extractor, and also with a valvedpipe connection between the upper portion thereof and the upper portion of the digester, there being a filter in said hot-water tank above the entranceof said last named pipe connection, substantially as described.

CHARLES S. WIlEELYVHlG-I-IT.

\Vitnessei \VILLIAM WV. Susan, IDA E. HANDREN. 

